Had an address, a phone confirmation that a room is available, a tourist map and bus 98 from the airport where we dropped off the car. Got off a stop too late. Back tracked counting streets and looking down alleys. I shouldered our green luggage/backpack and my day bag. I hear the wheels of Sarah's carry-on click clack along the pavers behind. The 3 story sunflower yellow hostel behind a lavender gate sits in a residential area a street paralleling the shopping district. The guy at the desk speaking heavily accented English checks us in, gives us each a sleeping sheet and directs us to room 201-a mixed (coed) dorm. Up 2 flights of cracked marble steps our key card lets us into a very clean room with 3 sets of bunk beds, a small yellow table matching the 50s style of everything else, a sink and bathroom and a 12 ft window opening onto a small baloclny overlooking the somewhat shabby paved courtyard. Tossing our luggage on two lower beds and locking our valuables (mostly meds) in the little padlocked cabinet we are off to explore the city.
We return after dinner; pay 2 € for 30 min of computer time and 2€ for a beer, we check our email and make a rushed post on the blog. We settle in for bed releaved that we are alone until around midnight when 3 Filipano exchange students appologetically arrive after a pilgramige to Lourdes. Up at 8 after a cacophony of alarm clocks we dress in a flooded bathroo, and share a single sink to wash and brush. Included breakfast of coffee, juice, bread, butter, jam and cereal is in the communal room down stairs. Some people packed and headed out but most sleepily getting fueled for their day. Couples and small groups of friends-mostly young; two women with small children and quite a few of us seasoned (read senior) travelers? Even an elderly couple with hubby in a wheelchair.
Tomorrow--Genoa.
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